Ok so the winner of the Bummas Cloth set of their choice is #55 Emily B. Congrats! I'm e-mailing you now and you've got 48 to get back to me with your info..
Tomorrow two of my giveaways are ending..
My Tot Clock
Crazy Baby Clothing
And make sure to check back each day of my birthday week for a new giveaway! Like these...
Dreamsacks Jewelry Roll
18x24 Poster Print
Winner of the Bummas Cloth set!!
Adios Madre...
So my mom is retiring and moving back to her country tomorrow and I gotta go say goodbye to her tonight. It's really bittersweet because although my mom can be horrible, a compulsive liar and gambler, a thief, and very conniving; she's still my mom. She was a terrible mother at most times but she is a good grandmother and for some reason my daughter really loves her. Me and my mom have had some roller coaster moments between us too. I think I have fought with her more then anyone else in the family, but she is still the first person I run to when I've found myself in any kind of trouble. I'm not exactly the most responsible person when it comes to living and I seem to always find my self in some effed up situation, but I always know that my mom is the one person I can go to when I don't want any other family member to know what kind of hot water I have landed myself in. And she always ends up bailing me out! Granted, there is always a heavy price to pay attatched to any kind of favor she does for me, and I always end up regretting it, but at least she does it. I can't even begin to tell you about the things that woman has put me through in my life, I'm talking some really horrible things, but for every shitty thing she does there is something good she does as well, and that is what has always screwed with me. I mean if you are going to be a bad person, be one all the way. Don't sprinkle your evil-ness with good acts here and there cause it messes with a person's head!
My mother has literally terrorized me and my sisters with her craziness, yet she always stayed by my side the entire time I would be in the hospital having surgery. She has stolen money from me yet when I went to her the first time I admitted I was a drug addict and needed help, she simply kept her mouth shut and hugged me. And then she called me every day in re-hab to remind me she had quit smoking so she could feel even a smidgen of what I was going through....lol
I've been an awful daughter and she's been an awful mother, but we only get one life and one family. So we have to make the best of what we've got. I have to let go of the past, try to remember the good shit, and stop falling for the same things over and over.
So it's kind of sad that she is moving so far away. Who the hell am I going to run to if I need bail money or O is throwing up all over the place and I'm scared to take her to the doctor by myself? I guess in a way her new phase of her life will force me to go through one of my own. Time to grow up and stop being co-dependent with each other I guess.
And I HATE good-byes. I just loathe them. I never even say goodbye to my sister when she leaves from her yearly visits. I just can't do it, so it's going to take a lot of strength to get through tonight, and it's going to take even more when I have to explain to Olivia why Grandma isn't around yet we are living in her house. Man life really sucks sometimes..
Poetry Corner - Arenas
I am that child with the round, dirty face who on every corner bothers you with his "Can you spare a quarter?"
I am that child with the dirty face, no doubt unwanted, that from far away contemplates coaches where other children emit laughter and jump up and down considerably
I am that unlikeable child definitely unwanted,with the round dirty face who before that giant street lights or under the grandams also illuminated or in front of the little girls that seem to levitate projects that insult of his dirty face
I am that angry and lonely child of always, that throw you the insult and warns you: if hypocritically you pat me on the head I would take that opportunity to steal your wallet
I am that child of always before the panorama of imminent terror imminent leprosy, imminent fleas, of offenses and the imminent crime.
Anyone have or had very young toddlers that wear glasses??
I'm asking because I'm pretty damn sure O is going to need them. This is something I worried about since I was pregnant because I knew her chances of needing them were very likely. My husband has three kids from a previous marriage and all three of them wear glasses, along with all three of his sisters and his mom. So it's something I always kept a look out for since she was a baby. And now the day has come. I notice that when she focuses on something or is watching her show on TV one of her eyes goes a little "cock-eyed". Then when I would call her name to grab her attention it would like move back. And when my husband noticed it (who is always in complete denial of ANYTHING ever being wrong because he thinks i worry too much) I knew that I wasn't alone in seeing something was off. Plus, one of his daughter's has a lazy eye and he said this is exactly how it started off. I am glad I'm catching it now because my niece has a lazy eye and they don't think they caught it early enough and now she is still having problems. It sucks for her and my sister!
But anywhoo, I'm wondering if any of you mommies have kids that needed glasses at a very very young age like this. What was your experience like at the eye exam (because I know it's not going to be pleasant with this child), and how on earth did you get a toddler to wear glasses?? Any experiences or advice would be kindly appreciated. Thats why I love having this blog. I always get great input from you guys!!
Disney Channel is out to ruin my life!
Dear Disney Channel,
Exactly where the hell have The Wiggles gone to? They weren't on yesterday or today, and as I frightfully looked on my TV menu for the next two weeks I see that they aren't on any day soon either. Exactly what are you trying to do to me here? You are a channel for little kids and you don't effing understand that when a child loves a show as my daughter loves those four stupid men, that they expect to see the show everyday and even know what freaking time it comes on? Did you think that all the children around the world would suddenly forget that The Wiggles? Nothing is worse then telling your child "OK it's time to watch The Wiggles and give mama a break for 27 minutes out of the entire day", and your kid is jumping up and down on the couch yelling, "yay! Wake up Jeff!" over and over, and you turn on the TV and it's completely Wiggle-less. How exactly do you explain that to a two year old? Can you tell me Disney Channel? Please? I mean your company is literally bigger then Jesus, you control the universe, and you can't get 4 men in multi-colored t-shirts to appear on time? Maybe the rumors were right that Walt Disney was a Satanist.
I'd honestly like to know what the meaning of all this is. Did they need a break? It's not like you don't play re-runs of every other show 24/7. Seriously, I need answers and I need them fast. I can only perform "Captain's Magic Buttons" so many times in my living room. I've got things to do! Thanks.
Yours in misery,
Sasha
Because you need to know her......
Beth Ditto.....
Epitome of Fashion, Art, and Punk Rock.....
If I could only be a quarter of as fabulous and Confident.....
I beg you to tour the US...
Know her and Love her....
Frecklebox Review!!!
In my life, and my family's life, books are our center. Reading is so incredibly important to me and my love of literature and writing surpasses anything else that I might enjoy doing. I really wanted to pass that love on to my daughter and I vowed that starting from the day I brought her home from the hospital I would read to her every single day without fail. And I have! Now my daughter loves books about as much as I do and it makes me more then happy when she scuttles over to me carrying one in her hand and asks me to "read it mama",or when I hear her recite certain lines from her favorites.
We all have fond memories of books as children. Escaping into another world was such a comfort to me as a child and even before I could read myself I used to love when my big sister would read to me at night and do all the character voices she would do. My daughter has loved books since she could push them along the floor while crawling, and I will do everything I can to encourage that fondness for the rest of her life that I am in charge of. So I love any company that helps to make reading and learning fun, and I was more then happy to get to review Frecklebox.
Frecklebox specializes in making personalized gifts for kids. They strive to make children feel special by making their stories and artwork specifically about the child who the products are being given to. How exciting would it be for a kid to get a special item with their name on it? When I was a kid I had a cousin, one of the people in my life who made books important to me, who would get special gifts and books with me and my sister's names on them, and I just adored them! Frecklebox has personalized items such as storybooks, puzzles, posters, journals, place mats, stickers, growth charts, and party favors. And each item can be customized with your child's name!
Frecklebox was kind enough to send a personalized book for my daughter Olivia. It was awesomely called "Olivia Saves the Planet" and teaches about all the ways to help protect our earth. My daughter was literally so fascinated with hearing her name incorporated with the story that she has made me read it about 100 times since receiving it. I'm not even kidding. I have the book memorized by now. What is even better is that she is already recognizing things from the book in everyday life such as recycling and not wasting water when brushing our teeth. The greatest thing about childrens books is that they teach. So anything that can make learning fun for a kid is magic to me! The way Frecklebox incorporated her name into the pictures of the story is something I haven't seen before. I mean they didn't just write her name into the story, they placed her name in each picture on each page. Like for example (and this is adorable) for the page about not wasting water there is a picture of a big bar of soap with "Olivia" carved into it, and in the end there is a picture of a trophy with her name engraved on it as well. It's really amazing how clear they made it as well as the different ways they spelled out her name.
And what a better gift for a special occasion, milestone, or birthday then to get the kid in your life a personalized gift like that? Seriously, things like this makes kids feel so special, and seeing that look of happiness on their face is worth all the tantrums in the world. Frecklebox has a wide variety of themes to choose from for either a boy or a girl. From princesses to trucks and animals, Frecklebox has whatever your kid might be in to. What is also great is that it's so incredibly easy to customize your item. All I had to do was type in Olivia's name and a special little message from her mama (which I love) and voila! You can even view a preview of what your item will look like before you even get it.
The creators of Frecklebox are Scott and Mark. I had the pleasure of communicating with Mark and he was so incredibly kind. Both Mark and Scott are fathers who had a partnership together in a printing business before called Progressive Solutions. "As parents, these guys take the job of expanding their children’s minds very seriously. And as business people, they’ve been on a relentless mission to explore the possibilities of web-based digital printing."
I can't wait that as Olivia gets older this book will not only encourage and teach her to be environmentally conscience but that it will teach her to spell her name as well. She's only two so for right now she is loving the fact that she is a part of her own special story and it makes me so happy to see that fascination in her eyes. Frecklebox is just one of those companies that you know really cares about the development of kids, along with just plain making them happy. So make sure to check out Frecklebox so that you can make your little one feel special in a really unique way!
The Things you can learn from Vanilla Joy's Blog
My sister is a huge craft person. I mean you could walk into her craft room and literally go shopping like you were in Micheal's. And she can just about make anything. Now that she has a baby she doesn't have as much time to do crafts. But still I wish I could have helped her with her Craft Room Organization so that she could feel more enticed to keep making her awesome crafts! One of the ways she could stay organized is by getting some Scrapbooking Furniture to keep everything in it's place. But alas, we don't have time for these things since we are more worried about finding different methods of Discipline for our Children..
Before thinking I have gone bat poop crazy, this post is for a contest I'm doing at Vanilla Joy..hee hee
I don't care if I get 100 negative comments, this shiz is funny!
Love this duo, and this song is awesome. Sorry but they are 100% spot on! Enjoy!!
Operation Smile - Cleft Lip Organization
I'm really mad, because I just wrote this entire post and for some reason accidentally erased it, and I swear I almost bashed my stupid computer, as well as my own dumb head, in with one of O's toys. But it's so important that I will sit here for another 20 minutes and write it all over the eff again.
I'd like to talk about an organization that is so so important to me and personally close to my heart. I hope I can introduce it to as many people as I can that aren't already familiar with it. It's called Operation Smile. This organization is a worldwide medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults with cleft lip and palate. Operation Smile was founded by Dr. William P. Magee Jr. a plastic surgeon, and his wife, Kathleen, a nurse and clinical social worker. In 1982, the Magees traveled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children's cleft lips and cleft palates. They discovered hundreds of children ravaged by deformities, and although they helped many children, the volunteers were forced to turn away the majority of those who sought help. The Magees saw the need and Operation Smile was born.
You see I was born with Bi-lateral Cleft Lip and Palate, which means the cleft was on both sides of my lip and required a lot of work. Being born this was is a major major part of my life and everything I have endured because of it has shaped my entire existence. From being made fun of to having to go through painful surgeries all my childhood, and eventually to becoming a drug addict because I couldn't deal with all the memories of what I went through. All of this centers around the simple (well complicated) fact that i was 1 in 700 children born with a cleft lip and Palate. But the thing is, is that I was very very lucky in my situation. My mother worked at the same company for 26 years to get great insurance for my treatments, dental care, speech therapy, etc. I was brought to some of the greatest surgeons in the field to have my last surgery when I was 14 at the UCLA medical center. There are so many children in so many countries that cannot afford food let alone surgeries. It's more common in certain poor countries and South America and Asia, where babies with cleft really need help. And that very first surgery to close the cleft is the most important. This closure helps the baby to eat and eventually learn to speak, and without it life will be very brutal for them.
That is why I'm so happy and thankful that Operation Smile exists. They provide medical and dental care for children and Adults with cleft in other countries as well as in America too. It's so hard for new parents who have just discovered their baby has a cleft to deal with the overwhelming task at hand. They often don't know where to begin in getting their child the proper surgeries, dental, breast/bottle feeding care, and speech therapy that they need. Operation Smile is making it possible for those families to thrive and have happy healthy lives. And they even help with Dental care which is so vital when it comes to Cleft. Believe me, I spent almost my entire childhood in a Dentist or Orthodontist chair.
Without organizations like this, before my family had insurance, I wouldn't have had the care that I needed as a kid. I really hope that all people born with Cleft can one day be as lucky as I was. Today, a lot of people can't even notice that I had a cleft and although I am not vain (after going through a childhood where I didn't look normal at all) I am so thankful for that and hope this can be achieved over and over again with others.I really really urge you to take a moment to learn about Operation Smile and all the miracles they are performing. And if you are in a place where you can donate please consider it. Thanks for reading and please spread the word.
My love for Eric Schaeffer is still a go...
So since I had like zero followers when I wrote my blogs about Eric Schaeffer, no one is probably going to understand (or honestly care) about the status of my infatuation with him,but that's OK because I write for me and me alone. So I'm happy to say that my adoration meter is tilting a little further up after this recent episode of "I can't Believe I'm still Single". See, my love was starting to falter a little bit with the new season because it seemed more about him trying to get laid (along with his narcosis growing madly out of control at the same time) and less about a quest for true understanding of love.
I was starting to get a little discontent after the last episode where one second he was praising a chick in a cafe and the next he was telling her to get her coffee to go and leave him alone because her hot friend, he was more interested in, had just showed arrived. Something about that irked me. Along with the fact that he falls in love with every chick he meets, just like another ex-boyfriend of mine. Yes I know I should love him for all his kooky ways, even if that means accepting his incredibly short attention span and need for instant gratification that blows cold so quickly. But something about that just seemed a little selfish. Seemed a little too much like someone else in my past that this man reminds me so much of it makes me literally nauseous.
But after tonight's episode I must say that he has redeemed himself a little. Now the crew has finally hit the road and we get to see Eric's beloved banter with the other passengers in the car and with himself. His narcosis is now lovable again and not uncomfortable, and when you see him become emotional after visiting his Father and his sister you can't help but adore the man all over again. Even if he spent most of the episode infatuating about Canadian whores, I'm proud to say that I'm still borderline obsessive with Mr. Schaeffer and all is well in my little world again.
Jon and Hate Plus 8 Debacle
I came across this spot on post by Diares of the Professor , and I have to say that every single hilarious word of it it so true. I agree with everything he says and have predicted the downfall of these two crooks a long time ago. Yes I am Ant-Gosselin and if you aren't too then something is either really wrong with you, you have never watched the show, or you are just plain slow-witted. I'm sorry but you can't honestly believe that these two money-grubbing Anti-Christians could possibly be good parents.
Octo-mom is mother fucking Teresa compared to these two schmucks. And in all honesty, I don't blame poor Jon from straying from the monster with the dead animal on her head. Really I don't. Put yourself in the poor guys place. He marries a woman that he loves, has two beautiful twin girls that he adores, then even though they admittedly didn't have enough money to do so, his wife tells him she got a message from god or something and took a bunch of fertility drugs and popped out a heard of children. Now here is this dude who is very young and very immature, and he is literally thrust into this incredibly challenging life. He is forced into the spotlight and now expected to hold his responsibility as a father ten-fold. Yes, I believe he stuck around and did his duty because he loves those children. But what Kate did next was so unfair to the guy. When you have one child you need your family there (if you are close to them) to help you out, support you, teach you all the little tips and tricks to having a baby. But what did Kate do? She begun the first of isolation techniques to remove all other family members from the situation. I can't claim to know what the story is behind all that, but I do know that one day they were close to the family and the next moment Kate is saying "These people just aren't in the kids lives anymore". And this was one of several instances like this where family members suddenly disappeared. So here Jon was, a father to 10, without even as little as his mama to hold his hand. And then what happens? She becomes so addicted to the money, fame, and freebies that her head grows so incredibly big that she has no shame in even cutting her own good Christian husband down on camera for the entire world to see over and over again.
I'm not going to go on and list all the many other things that make Kate and Jon horrible and greedy. I mean all you got to do is watch the show, watch their itinerary, and view the proof of all the spending and church appearances. But I'm glad it's all finally crashing down on them. Sure it's sad for the kids, but it's not any worse then all the shit they have already gone through and all the damage that has been done. If Kate truly loved them, then she would be with them right now beginning the healing process. But where is dear Katie? Still shucking out yet another stupid book of hers and appearing on talk show after talk show. And don't tell me that she is contractually obligated to do it either. The bitch has so much money right now she doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to. I'm sorry but if a huge scandal hit my family, my children would not be left to be comforted by the many nannies that I left in charge. But then again I'm not a snake like Kate Gosselin.
Mother's Day should be everyday.
Seriously, and I know I'm not alone here, but don't you think that having a single measly day to celebrate the wonderment that is mothers, IS a little bit lacking? Mothers are the key to the entire universe I believe and deserve much more. I may not be the greatest mother by far, but the things that I have seen and witnessed mothers do is truly amazing and worth more then just 24 hours of recognition. We should have an entire month!
I will never forget that first week after giving birth to Olivia. Not only was I thinking, "what the crap did I just get myself in to?" I was in complete awe and wonderment of how incredibly strong and magical mothers actually were. I remember calling my big sister and just crying like mad that I didn't know what I was doing, the kid wouldn't stop crying, I was beyond exhausted, couldn't get breastfeeding to work, and thinking that I had made a huge mistake cause I just wasn't cut out to be a mom. And she said to me, "OK it may not be working out but just think about all that you are doing right now!" Only a mother could put themselves through complete emotional hell like that. You grew that baby for 9 months and protected it, and here you are...a complete wreck but you are still here". And then I realized that moms WERE super-heroes. All the things that they can do and all the hats that they can wear is something so unbelievable to witness. There are so many examples I can't even begin to list, but when you hear about a mother working 5 jobs to feed their kid, or a mother selling her body in a desolate country because her kids are starving, it just makes you wonder why all we get are some presents and a card on one particular day. I'm not saying that everyone is unappreciative, so please hold back on the badgering. All I'm doing is writing about how wonderful it all is if you really think about it. Everything in the universe is created or born....who does the creating and birthing? Everything needs to be nurtured to survive and grow...who does the protecting and tending? A woman's body is literally built to grow life and then feed that life with our very own souls and bodies. It's crazy!
The woman has always been the creator, the starter of wars, the subjects of poems, the despair and longing of artists and Kings. And you never love anyone like you love your mother. A mother can never be replaced.
So on this Mother's Day of course do the usual. Take your wife/mom out to dinner, buy her flowers, let her take a break without being disturbed by her tantrum throwing two year old (hint hint Paul) but try to let that celebration and praise carry-on throughout the year. Remember what moms do and keep that memory fresh. I only wish that we were born with the knowledge of knowing how much our mothers love us. I think adolescence would be so much different if we did. If I knew as a kid how much my parents had to endure and hurt watching me go through the things I had to go through then I think I would have turned out differently. And you only truly understand that deep love when you eventually have a child of your own. And now I can only wish that my child will grow up understanding, if only a smidgen, how complete I am now that she is here. And that I don't exist without her. So please Happy Mother's YEAR everyone!
Poetry Corner - Plath
Lady Lazarus - by Sylvia Plath
I have done it again.
One year in every ten
I manage it--
A sort of walking miracle, my skin
Bright as a Nazi lampshade,
My right foot
A paperweight,
My face a featureless, fine
Jew linen.
Peel off the napkin
O my enemy.
Do I terrify?--
The nose, the eye pits, the full set of teeth?
The sour breath
Will vanish in a day.
Soon, soon the flesh
The grave cave ate will be
At home on me
And I a smiling woman.
I am only thirty.
And like the cat I have nine times to die.
This is Number Three.
What a trash
To annihilate each decade.
What a million filaments.
The peanut-crunching crowd
Shoves in to see
Them unwrap me hand and foot--
The big strip tease.
Gentlemen, ladies
These are my hands
My knees.
I may be skin and bone,
Nevertheless, I am the same, identical woman.
The first time it happened I was ten.
It was an accident.
The second time I meant
To last it out and not come back at all.
I rocked shut
As a seashell.
They had to call and call
And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.
Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well.
I do it so it feels like hell.
I do it so it feels real.
I guess you could say I've a call.
It's easy enough to do it in a cell.
It's easy enough to do it and stay put.
It's the theatrical
Comeback in broad day
To the same place, the same face, the same brute
Amused shout:
'A miracle!'
That knocks me out.
There is a charge
For the eyeing of my scars, there is a charge
For the hearing of my heart--
It really goes.
And there is a charge, a very large charge
For a word or a touch
Or a bit of blood
Or a piece of my hair or my clothes.
So, so, Herr Doktor.
So, Herr Enemy.
I am your opus,
I am your valuable,
The pure gold baby
That melts to a shriek.
I turn and burn.
Do not think I underestimate your great concern.
Ash, ash--
You poke and stir.
Flesh, bone, there is nothing there--
A cake of soap,
A wedding ring,
A gold filling.
Herr God, Herr Lucifer
Beware
Beware.
Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air.
(A crazy English teacher I had in the 10th grade gave me this poem and I've kept it ever since. It forever will be my favorite piece of poetry)
Prissy Green's giveaway for a year supply of skin care!
Prissy Green is having the most amazinghttp://www.prissygreen.com for Pevonia Botanical. This a definite one to enter!!
FINCA International
Another post to bring light to something that everyone needs to learn about. FINCA International's mission is to provide financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets and improve their standard of living. Their vision is to be a global microfinance network collectively serving more low-income entrepreneurs than any other MFI while operating on commercial principles of performance and sustainability. the Village Banking Campaign. It will enable FINCA to double its impact: to use the power of microfinance to extend loans, microinsurance, and savings to one million poor families by 2010 so they can effect their own development.
Microfinance refers to financial services provided to low-income people, usually to help support self-employment. Examples of microfinance products include: small loans, savings plans, insurance, payment tranfers, and other services that are provided in small increments that low-income individuals can afford. These services help families to start and build "micro" enterprises, the very small businesses that are important sources of employment, income, and economic vitality in developing countries worldwide.
Because salaried or wage-paying jobs are scarce in many developing countries, most citizens earn their livings through self-employment, creating and operating their own tiny enterprises. But without financial services to fuel their productivity, the poor can never grow their microenterprises into businesses that help them escape poverty. The microfinance movement was born to ease the suffering caused by poverty, and to awaken the global economy's sleeping giant: the under-capitalized productivity of the world's working poor.
By providing very poor families with small loans to invest in their microenterprises, Village Banking empowers them to create their own jobs, raise their incomes, build assets, and increase their families’ well-being. Here's how it works. Neighbors come together in financial support groups called “Village Banks.” Individuals borrow working capital for their microenterprises, and because they have little to offer for collateral, the group guarantees those loans. As businesses grow, families earn more, purchase more nutritious foods, and parents are better able to send their children to school. After a year or more, many Village Bankers make significant improvements to their businesses, their homes, and their lives. Because neighbors support each other while growing their businesses, Village Banking helps invigorate entire communities. Village Banking is designed to reach the poorest of the working poor. FINCA clients—70 percent of whom are women—have no other sources of working capital. FINCA works closely with its clients to help them build their businesses so they can earn more, become part of the larger marketplace, and enter the global economy. In addition to working capital, we provide them with insurance, savings plans, and other services to help them weather crises such as illness or death in the family, or natural disasters.
Please head on over to FINCA international to learn more about how you can be apart of this important movement forward.
The Lost Boys of Sudan
A really incredible organization having to do with the heart breaking issue that is "The Lost Boys of Sudan" was brought to light to me by an owner of a company I recently met, and who I will be doing a future review for. It's called Hope with Sudan and I really hope all of you will take a moment to educate yourselves about the Lost Boys of Sudan as well as this organization.
(taken from Wikipedia) "The Lost Boys of Sudan are more than 27,000 boys who were displaced and/or orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005, about 2 million killed). In 2001, about 3800 Lost Boys arrived in the United States, where they are now scattered in about 38 cities.Halted after 9/11 for security reasons, the program restarted in 2004, but peace talks were underway in Sudan, and so other refugee crises in other countries took priority. As of 2006, the largest population of Sudanese refugees in the United States is in Omaha, Nebraska which hosts about 7,000 people. A variety of charities helped bring Sudanese refugees to the United States, such as Catholic Charities. A variety of programs have been done to help and understand these displaced people, everything from reconnecting to their traditional dancing to dental work to replace teeth which had been removed by traditional custom, but whose loss is negative in the USA.
Most of the boys were orphaned or separated from their families when government troops systematically attacked villages in southern Sudan killing many of the inhabitants, most of whom were civilians. The younger boys survived in large numbers because they were away tending herds or were able to escape into the nearby jungles.Orphaned and with no support, they would make epic journeys lasting years across the borders to international relief camps in Ethiopia and Kenya evading thirst, starvation, wild animals, insects, disease, and one of the most bloody wars of the 20th century.Experts say they are the most badly war-traumatized children ever examined.
When villages were attacked, girls were raped, killed, taken as slaves to the north, or became servants or adopted children for other Sudanese families. As a result, relatively few girls made it to the refugee camps."
Hope with Sudan is an organization that offers scholarships to refugee youth in need in Kenya, Uganda and the Silicon Valley. Through this site you can donate to this cause, as well as learn how to become a companion, mentor, tutor, or set up a program to tell the story of The Lost Boys to your community or anyone else who will listen. There are also a few documentaries on this subject such as "And God grew Tired of us" as well as others. So please check out this site and spread the word.
Basa Body review, Great products for a great cause!
I love love love to encounter companies that not only sell wonderful products but who use their platform and proceeds for a good cause. It's so important that when one finds success they remember to use it in order to do good for others as well as for themselves. No matter how you are doing in life you can always find a way to help someone else who needs it. The story behind Basa Body products is one that really needs to be heard. It's a company full of love and selflessness and I hope that I can spread the word about it to as many people as I can. In the company's own words this is how Basa Body began:
"It began with a trip to Kenya where we connected with wonderful, intelligent women working hard to feed their families. We met with the women of Mombasa and visited the first small-scale coconut oil plant called Coast Coconut Farms where they produced pure organic coconut oil by hand. Determined to find a way to assist them in selling their oil and to help them grow their business, we came home and through the help of many good people, created Basa Body (named after the women of Mombasa). It is our hope that by sharing this natural healing lotion with their inspiring story, we can help lift these women of Africa out of poverty and help them become self-reliant. Basa not only purchases all our coconut oil from CCF, but we also donate back 10% of our profits to projects in Kenya to fight poverty."
The Coast Coconut Farm was created to lift rural poor out of poverty. This company’s mission is to provide sustainable employment, management and ownership opportunities for the rural people of Kenya, and eventually, across the globe. It has also provided employment for 100 Kenyan Families. Please read more about about Basa's Story here. Not only do these products help individuals in Kenya to achieve self reliance, but the products themselves are natural and earth friendly. There are many great health benefits of using Coconut Oil that I found interesting as well. You can also go to the Basa Body website and donate directly to these projects, and all proceeds go directly toward projects in Kenya. Basa Body is also developing a "Woman to Woman” direct sales model, with the idea that Basa Body is about women helping women. Basa Body “Mompreneurs” have an opportunity to sell Basa Body products, creating extra income for themselves, while creating employment and self-reliance for women in Kenya who are making the coconut oil by hand in the villages of Kenya." I know that I definitely will be involved in any way that Basa Body will allow me to be, because what this company is achieving is just so incredible and heart warming to me.
Now I also got a chance to sample and try these products out, and I must say that they, first of all, smell like absolute heaven. As soon as I opened the box the most delicious scent hit my nose. Its the perfect combination of a tropical and natural scent, and ladies you will love it. I first tried out the Basa Body stick, which is a natural coconut oil healing balm. Living in the desert my skin gets so dry and so I used it on my feet. Already they are becoming so smooth and soft so quickly. I also used it on this rash I've had on my arms for the past month now. Nothing would work before, not even hydro-cortisone, but I put the balm on it and it hasn't itched since! It can also be used to sooth irritated skin as well as diaper rash and chaffing! I know all the moms will agree with me that I love the idea of using something this natural on my daughter's skin.
The Cherry Chocolate & Mint Truffle soap smelled so good I could literally eat it. It's really like nothing I've smelled before and I love having a scent follow me around that not many are familiar with. It's nice to be different of course ;). Lastly, I tried the Natural Coconut Oil Lotion, which is free from parabens, artificial colors, and preservatives. My skin is sensitive so using something without harsh chemicals is important to me. This also smelled absolutely incredible in combination with the soap.
I loved reviewing Basa Body products, and honestly I would have posted about this company regardless of reviewing the products or not, because it is such a wonderful and important company. Each of my girlfriends and relatives will have to expect that all future gifts will be from Basa Body from now on!... hee hee. But I'm sure they won't mind once they learn what awesome work this company is doing as well as what a beautiful product they are creating. Please take the time to check out their website and perhaps even find something perfect in time for Mother's Day!
Uganda's Invisible Children
If any of you watch and love Oprah like I do then you saw the episode this past week where she mentioned Uganda's Invisible children. This isn't the first time this horrendous situation was mentioned on her show, and I'm really glad that someone like her (who millions of people listen to) is smart enough and compassionate enough to use her voice to talk about things like this. The first time I watched the documentary I honestly couldn't believe it. Of course horrible things happen to children all around the world everyday, and all of us feel empathy and sorrow for what goes on. But this is truly something that could very well have an end put to it soon if enough people get involved to stop this. So please visit the Invisible children website, watch the documentary, learn about children in Uganda who are being forced to be child soldiers, and about those children who have to be locked in cages at night so they aren't stolen. Seriously, it doesn't take long to just learn about what you can do to help and where to go to voice your concern.
Ummm Can I give this kid back?
So my two year old is hitting the terrible twos at like full freaking force right now and I am exhausted, stressed out, and re-thinking this parenthood thing (j/k....kinda). I know that tantrums all come down to lack of communication and her not being able to express herself (and her being a brat) but this is just down right crazy now. Before you become a parent, and you see a kid screaming in the middle of the store while going dead weight, you literally look at the parent like they are nuts and want to scream "control your child!". I vowed to never be that parent and now here I am, finding myself completely embarrassed out in public, and wanting to crawl into a dark place and cry "oh god why did I have a child?" I mean this kid is my heart, she is more important to me then air, and my body would literally stop functioning and drop dead if I had to be without her, but these past couple days I have actually had to go into another room, close the door, and pretend I was in my happy place because if I didn't I would completely loose it during her tantrums.
So I need to know how you guys handled this. I know there are a million opinions on this, but I like to hear from real people. I've been doing the time out thing, I have ignored her tantrums completely, but sometimes it still doesn't work. I swear this kid looks at me dead in the eye right when she is doing something bad. And if she wants something she cannot have she will go on and on for hours if I let her. I really don't want one of those kids you see on Nanny911. I really don't want to hear people tell me my kid is bad or question why the hell I am not doing something right with her. It's great that some kids are naturally wonderful...really I'm happy for you if they are. But my kid has always been a high needs, really smart and creative, have imaginary friends and locking the cat in the fridge kind of kid. I love her for that, but I got to get a handle on it as well. So any KIND advice would be greatly appreciated!
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